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Nelson Gain

All 6000+ precincts of Florida showing where Democratic Senator Bill Nelson over-performed President Obama in the 2012 Elections. While Obama got 50% of the vote, Nelson scored a 55% win. Nelson’s strongest gains over the President came from the Panhandle of Florida, a region growing more hostile for Democrats and an area that gave Obama very low percents of the vote. Nelson had much stronger appeal with rural voters than the President, winning several rural counties. In addition, Nelson won many suburban areas that did not vote for the President either. However, Nelson’s rural vote percentages were much lower than his 2000 run, where he won a close race against Bill McBride. While Nelson dramatically over-performed the President in the panhandle, he still only won a few more counties than the President in that region. Major gains over the President in Calhoun, Taylor, and Gulf did not yield wins; while gains in Liberty and Franklin did. Nelson’s major gains can be attributed both to his popularity as well as the unpopularity of the President. In several rural counties, Obama’s percentages were a general low point for Democrats, and gains were not hard to come by. Nelson’s strength in suburban areas like Manatee, Marion, Pasco, and Brevard are more of a testament to Nelson’s cross-over appeal than his gains in the rural areas.

Area that gave Obama a higher percent of the vote were largely African-American precincts.